Pros vs Cons: Calcium Reactor vs Kalkwasser Reactor
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cdness
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I use straight 2-part, however I have a Calcium Reactor sitting in the garage, waiting to be hooked up... However the PH adjustment properties of KALK are attractive as well...
gonpostal
Community Member
I bought a calcium reactor package from Premium Aquatics a couple of years ago and I love it. It didn't come with a electronic bubble counter, it came with a needle valve to control the CO2. It came with a Reef Fanatic regulator and a micro ball valve to control the effluent.To The Ca Reactor Fans
All I will say to the die-hard Ca reactor fans and those still wanting to give a CO2-reactor a try is that to have your best shot at a good experience, do not buy a packaged reactor kit from anyone. The price is low only because they skimp on parts and this (a CO2 reactor) is one of the worst things to skimp on. Both flooding your house with water and your tank with CO2 are distinct possibilities if (when!) something goes wrong.
So if you're going Ca-reactor...
In the final analysis, the reactor itself is the least critical part of the system...a cheap-o reactor backed up by a top-flight CO2 injector system (this plumbed to your Ca reactor would do nicely) and tuned properly will do just as well as a high-dollar reactor.
- Buy a real regulator from the same place you buy/rent/fill your CO2 tank from - it will be a commercial model and it will not break unless you fill it with saltwater by accident.
- Buy a so-called "digital bubble counter" from the planted tank people - don't mess around with crappy needle valves at all. (They have a combo regulator+bubble counter for $230 that I'd also be comfortable with.)
- Buy a real check valve so you don't fill your regulator with salt water by accident - get the one listed with the "digital bubble counter" or buy something industrial/commercial.
- Buy a proper airline pinch valve to control your water flow - the PV-2 by Flow Rite is the only thing I'd recommend. US Plastic sells them...others too I'm sure.
This still doesn't take any of the complexity or risk out of the system vs two-part dosing or make it as simple to deploy as kalk.
-Matt
A calcium reactor might take a little longer to set up, but once you get it dialed in it's a piece of cake. IMO the key is to adjust your bubble count and effluent so the pH in your reactor stays at a constant level and doesn't fluctuate, and just use the solenoid valve as a backup.
The most likely point of failure is the solenoid valve. A lot of people set their pH controller to close the valve when the pH in their reactor reaches a certain point (let's say 6.5) and then open the valve when it reaches another point (let's say 6.6), and then they open the needle valve too much and inject CO2 too fast. When the solenoid valve opens, the pH in the reactor drops to 6.5 before long (too much CO2) and the valve closes. The pH starts rising again until it hits 6.6 and the valve opens again. If it does this over and over every day the solenoid valve will eventually fail. The only time my solenoid ever closes is if my effluent line clogs, which is pretty rare.
I used dosing pumps before I got the reactor and spent much more time fiddling with them than I do my reactor.
For the record, I've never used a kalk reactor.
IMO, to imply that the "typical calcium reactor user" crashes their tank might be a little bit of a stretch. If one looks around enough I'm sure he could find stories of people who have crashed their tanks using dosing pumps or kalk.
Coraloliseffect
Active Member
Nice link.
So in other words if you read the directions, take your time, have patients and use solenoid switch as your fail safe (not controller). Ca reactors are great.
mcarroll
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Like in cooking, a good recipe is a good and maybe-necessary start - but not a predictor of results.
They're still crazy expensive, too.
-Matt
They're still crazy expensive, too.
-Matt
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kacrocorals581
Gotta have that acro
Iv used both. I now use balling light method and is awesome my params have never been more stable.
gonpostal
Community Member
IMO yes, once you have a grasp on how it works it's not hard at all. The electronic bubble counter will make it easier to adjust than a needle valve, but it's not necessary.
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Reef Pets
Bioprospector
I use a kalk stirrer that is gravity fed. The water gets supplied by gravity by using a container higher than the stirrer and I have a shutoff valve on the output of the stirrer to control the amount coming out of the stirrer which also tops off my system. Of course you need a sealed stirrer, I'm using a reef octopus now.
There are no mechanical part that can fail, this method is as safe as can be.
There are no mechanical part that can fail, this method is as safe as can be.
Tecdiverfl
New Member
I went from 2-part to kalk in my 180 and what a difference. Now debating hooking up a MTC dual chamber I traded for. It does not have a ph probe. Any thoughts on adding one or how to test the effluant? I have an apex controlling everything
I drip my effluent into a medium size Lee's Specimen container like they bag fish in at the LFS. It hangs on the sump side or a baffle then I cut a 2" wide strip of acrylic so it spans the sump and drilled a 5/8" hole in it so the pH probe slips in and hangs over the effluent container. Works like a charm.
Tecdiverfl
New Member
could you post a pic of how you have it set up?
Regards
Marty
Regards
Marty
I have a mainly sps reef and i started with 2 part w/dosing pumps put the 2 part became to expensive even from bulk bought an octopus cal reactor and use the apex to control it.I use kalk in a bucket stirred by a pump turned on and off by the apex then pumped by an old dosing pump also thru the apex to keep ph up
